Off The Grid: New York State Bans Fracking

The state of New York formalized its ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. This concludes a seven-year review that reportedly drew over a record 260,000 public comments, an unprecedented number for an environmental and health review.

"After years of exhaustive research and examination of the science and facts, prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing is the only reasonable alternative...High-volume hydraulic fracturing poses significant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and potential significant public health impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated."

The DEC, according to the Associated Press, noted that over 260,000 comments were submitted from the public in regards to its environmental impact study on hydraulic fracturing.

This makes New York the first and only state with reportedly "significant natural gas resources" to ban fracking. The public concern over air and water pollution, as well as the potentially negative long-term health effects of fracking, outweighed the economic benefits of the practice.

Do you stand with New York state on this ban? Do you agree with Jesse Ventura that we should embrace renewable energy sources? Sound off below!

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